


L'étranger

by AerisHikari



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Bad Puns, Edge is more wise than you think, Grief, Injured skeleton, Language, Papyrus need to get it all out, Red need a hug, Sad Skelly, Worry, everyone need a hug, i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2018-11-09 01:16:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11093856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AerisHikari/pseuds/AerisHikari
Summary: From a Plot Bunny by Redkammy on Tumblr.In a blink of an eye, he disappeared. The ones left behind now have to live without him.





	1. Chapter 1

He always took his as granted. After countless RESETs, having lost him in every possible way to find him again without having tobe forgiven, he didn’t realized the importance of his brother in his life anymore. 

So, first morning, he did not worry more than that. His brother was an adult, doubtless he had spent the night at Alphys’s to watch action movies. And it was pleasant to not have to get up early. Especially after one of his numerous insomnias. He would not need to catch up his sleep at work this time. He would just take a nap for the pleasure of the thing. 

He took his time this morning, or rather this afternoon. Sans would shout this evening for his delay  at work but to seeing his older brother getting angry amused him a lot. 

He teleported to his station. A common day if it was not for the fact that he was more late than usual.. But who cared about his tardiness except Sans? After all, the humans are very rare, the last ones who have fallen in the Underground fell before the birth of Papyrus. 

As usual, nobody went that way except for some teenagers left exploring the Snowdin’s forest. He was even able to visit the mysterious men behind the door. 

The day passed very fast. Unsurprisingly, nothing happened. 

When he teleported home, he expected to see Sans in the kitchen, grumble and worry that his brother is so lazy … But nothing. The silence. 

*Bah * he thought. *He must be with Alphys.*

He ate at Muffet’s this evening. The rabbits of the Royal Guard were absent however. What a pity, he would have liked to play cards with them tonight. He returned late, a little bit drunk on honey. Sans was going to shout. 

" I’m home! " He shouted, once entered. 

But nobody answered. 

" Sans? You sleep? " 

But nobody answered. 

He got upstairs and half-opened the door of Sans’s room. The rocket bed was empty. Nothing had moved.

He looked for the pocket of his Sweat-shirt but found nothing. Yes, he had probably still forgotten his phone in his room.

With long strides, he entered his room and found his phone, as often, unloaded, somewhere on a bunch of old boxer shorts. 

After a long time looking for his charger in a drawer filled with cable of former electronic devices which he had broken or misled, he connected his mobile and lit it, anxious. He was even more by seeing the impressive number of message which he had received. His telephone showed about twenty missed call, 10 vocal messages and 40 Texts unread.

All came from Alphys except one from Sans. A vocal message. And he dated from day before. Alphys had doubtless heard that he had been late and had wanted to lecture him, which explained all the messages. He listened to the vocal ones first. Sans voice came in his non existent ears.

"PAPY! GUESS WHAT? ALPHYS SENDS ME TO GIVE REPORTS TO THE QUEEN! THE QUEEN! I’M SO EXCITED! I DO NOT KNOW WHEN I’LL COME HOME TONIGHT, SO PLEASE, DON’T WORRY IF I COME BACK LATE. JUST CAN YOU GO DO GROCERIES FOR HE? EDGE INVITED US TO GO TO EAT AT HIS HOME IN UNDERFELL TOMORROW EVENING AND IT IS RUDE TO GO EAT TO OUR FRIENDS WITHOUT BRINGING THEM A LITTLE SOMETHING. ASK MUFFET, EVEN IF SHE PUTS TOO MUCH SUGAR, SHE MAKES VERY GOOD PASTRIES! I LEAVE YOU PAPY, THE MISSION CAN’T WAIT  MWEHEHE!"

He sighed of relief. His brother was just spending the night with Edge and Red… Without him. 

Usually, he would  have waited for him and would have left with him number of post-it to remind the event to come. 

Maybe h was really angry this time and had decided to go there alone. The  answering machine continued, announcing the second message. 

It dated the day before too. 

" Hey Pap, Sans is with you? He had to see me once back from New Home for his special training. If he’s with you, tell him to answer his phone! " 

The skeleton frowned. No, Sans had not returned yesterday evening … The third message had been received less than half an hour after the later.

" The Queen called me to tell me that she had not received reports. It’s not Sans’s way to stroll. Can you try to contact him? It doesn't work with me. " 

A beep, then another message, received the day before in the middle of the night. 

" Pick up pick up PICK UP!! I am really worried there Pap! I need your help! Do you know where your brother could hide? He did not really look well lately. If you have this message call back! "

Then another one, later. 

" Shit! Undyne and I looked at the camera footage to follow your brother’s path. He did not even pass by Hotland! He… " 

He could ear Undyne’s voice behind 

" What? " 

" I call you back. " 

A beep, another message received this morning. 

" I looked for him all night long. I sent rabbits to his research this morning. Please picked up, do not disappear like your brother! " 

His telephone had fallen from his hand at some time. He had not realized it. 

He had always taken for granted that his brother would always be there with him … Leaving the telephone in on-the-spot loading, he teleported outdoors. 

Messages continued to be repeated but nobody listens to them. Then it vibrated. An unknown number tried to join Papyrus. 

But nobody answered.


	2. Chapter 2

They had looked everywhere. Even in the most improbable places. But the Guards had other obligations than to look for a lost Skeleton. Alphys haven’t give up but had to accept to let her mens return to their usual activities.  
Papyrus had even looked in Underfell with the help of his local friends. But   
Red could not come out of the head that Blueberry had died. There was no other explanation. And his brother agreed with him. He would have fell in Waterfall. Or at Hotland in the lava. And if he had come alone in his universe, anyone would have been able to turn him to dust.  
But they continued their search, if only for Stretch sake. He was in the most total denial and in a constant state of panic.  
He did not sleep anymore, ate only when he reminded to and lit cigarette on cigarette. Red felt sorry for him. He would have never imagined to see a Papyrus behaving like that and had eventually wondered if his own brother would be in the same state if he disappeared too.  
As Stretch did not take care of himself anymore, Red had took on him to watch out that his friend does not dust by his own negligence. Regularly, he suggested him to drink some honey. The sugar gave him enough energy so that it does not exhaust his magic reserves.  
But there was still a the problem of the lack of slumber. Red knew that, like him, Stretch already suffer from insomnia before Blue’s disappearance. But since then, he almost didn’t sleep anymore. He came to such a level of exhaustion that Red had to save him an incalculable number of time while he lost the balance in dangerous places like the edge of the cliffs of Hotland …  
" Stop being stupid and go to sleep, you cannot help your brother if you die! "  
But Stretch never listened. He slept only when the exhaustion to knock him out, and still, no more than one hour or two.  
It’s been one month. Red was too tired to stay with Stretch permanently and had entrusted him to Alphys to go to rest a little bit at his own home.  
He found his brother there, back from his round and preparing the meal. The latter stopped once Red entered.  
" Anything new? "  
Red sighed for any answer.  
Edge lowered his head.  
" You do not think that … It would be time to give up? "  
" Stretch won’t listen to it … Even if we give up, he will continue and … He’s not well. If he continues like that he is going to die. I think I saw dust falling from his bones today … "  
" He won’t hold any longer if he go one like this. " added the Boss with regret. " Blue would not have wanted that … "  
Red felt his soul squeeze up under his ribs. No, Blue would never want to see his brother in such a state.  
" But Blue is not here anymore, Boss … "  
" Do you think it could be my fault? " Asked suddenly his younger brother  
Sans look at his brother, worried. He had totally stopped taking care of his cooking. His eyes sockets were empty and his posture undone. In public, this kind of attitude was death sentence Good thing they were safe in the intimacy of their house.   
Immediately, Red teleported beside his brother.  
" Hey Boss that … Why would you think that? You has nothing to do with … "  
" Nevertheless you saw how Blue reacted after our last training together … I went too far, I pushed his limit, I … "  
" Pap, listen! " He never almost called his brother by that nicknames of their childhood. The nickname ‘Boss’ had replaced it for a long time. He only used the old one when he was really worried for him.  
" You has nothing to blame yourself. You made a clumsy remark but you made every effort to apologize since. You even helped him improve. It is not YOUR FAULT. This kind of thing arrives. Doubtless, it was an accident. "  
" Accidents leave clues, Sans! What if he had jumped? "  
Red wasn’t able to refrain from thinking of the question that Blue asked him the last time they spoke to each other.  
*" You really find me weak? "*  
The skeleton with the gold tooth embraced his brother in a rare cuddle of comfort.  
"Come on, Pap … I can’t imagine our proud and joyful Blue doin’ such a thing. We are going to find what happened, don’t worry. Now, I just needs to find a way to prevent Stretch from killing himself in the task. "  
" I may have an idea … "  
The next day, Red returned to Underswap where Stretch had spent at night to turning every stone of Waterfall for the fifteenth consecutive time, watched by Alphys.   
Red he offered him to drink tea sweetened with the honey. And finally, Stretch slept. It was only it's a pity that it had been necessary to hide sleeping drug in its drink for that.


	3. Chapter 3

It’s been months, he searched every part of the Underground and Underfell. He traveled the Snowdin forest, even the most inaccessible ones. He discovered new caves in Waterfall. And he almost got himself arrested after wanting to go in someone’s house in New home, persuaded he heard his brother’s voice inside. 

Alphys had put him under house arrest so that he calms down. But once in his house, he only could feel the absence of his brother.

The house was empty, silent, cold. It was lacking life. And the life of the house... was Sans.

It was unfair. He was forced to stay home while he needed to search for his brother! His bro needed him! Or maybe, he was the one who needed his bro…

Homestuck, exhausted, hungry, he walked in his brother’s room. He sat in a corner, where he could see the rocket bed and the door at the same time. He still hoped to see Sans appear like nothing happened, excusing himself for being late and proposing to make his awful tacos.

But maybe, that was the problem. Sans may be gone because of him. Maybe he had enough of his lazy little bro. Papyrus almost never showed any recognition. He didn’t said anything to defend Sans after Edge’s words.

He never encouraged him, he made fun of him all day long, just for the fun to see Sans angry. What if Sans was feeling as bad as Alphys told him? Then, everything was his fault.

If he had his phone, charged, with him, he would have reacted sooner. Maybe he would have found him and…

Sans… Would still be here.

He heard Alphy’s words, full of anger, resonate in his mind.

“Stop this craziness! Sans is Dead! Live with it!”

Sans was probably dead now. And it was all because of him.

He thought again of the last days he spent with Sans. He should have seen sooner. His forced smile, the rings under his eyes, the questions he asked, not that innocent now that he thought of it.

What if he cheered on his brother, what if he helped him train what if…

What if Edge never told him that. If his double wasn’t so full of himself. What if he never left the portal between the universes open… Sans would still be here!

He heard Red and Edge speak behind his back while he searched the Underfell. They were thinking Sans might have been killed while trying to be stronger. That he could have dust trying to fight a stronger monster from Fell.   
After all, Edge never ceased to show off the fact that his strength came from his LOVE. That Sans would never be was powerful as him because of that.

What if they were right? Sans could have come back home before he finished his mission to go to fell and prove himself?

What if he helped a monster in distress attacked by another monster and tried to help him? And if that monster was from Fell then…

 

He waited. He knew very well that Red would not stop visiting him. This failure double of his brother worried far too much about him. Since the beginning, he was the only one who he accepted to listen.   
He was right most of the time. It was necessary for him to eat, it was necessary for him to sleep. And when he  would come, he would help him again, just for something else.   
Red entered by teleporting directly in the living room. Papyrus waited for him on the sofa, sipping a honey bottle.

" Pap! Glad to see you eat! I continued the searches since you can’t move and … "

" Edge do not come? "

" He … He always looks for witnesses. He questions all those susceptible to have seen a heap of dust or a monster dying in the period when Blue went missing … "

" Then he should verify the own hands … "

" What? "

Red looked at him at the moment with incomprehension. Papyrus continued to fix him insistently.

“After everything he did, if… If Sans really is… is…”

Even if he envisaged now the worst, he couldn’t say it, it seem impossible to say. Saying it would make it real. He couldn’t let it be real.

“It’s you brother who called him weak! It’s your fucking brother who pushed him too hard!”

He shouted now. He held on nevertheless, he needed to take out his anger on someone, and Red was the ideal victim. If he went too far Red would defend himself anyway. He wanted, not he needed to hurt Red as Edge had hurt Sans.

" It should have been you … If it is one jerks from your Universe who hurt him, why it did not happened to you? You are useless! You are not needed! Sans was)! He was... he … He is the only one who kept me alive Red! I … I would never have had to let you come in our life! "

Red said nothing, he did not even look at him. He had the lowered his head. Good.

" I should destroy the machine once again, like that I would not have to see your faces anymore! What do you think you’re doing coming here? You are not MY BROTHER! To come to see me will not change what your brother told him! "

“Are you finished?”

Finally he said something. Papyrus was still going to add some well felt remarks but did not. There was an unusual tremor in Red’s voice.

"Yeah, I come to see you because I feel guilty … And I admit that the Boss avoids you. He feels responsible as you yell it so well. You’re angry. It’s normal. You have all the right to be."

His voice was soft, quiet. How could he be so quiet? Papyrus wanted to slap him, to see a reaction from him, something more violent just … No words of comfort.

"You don’t even think what you say. It is a normal phase after all. I thought it would come out earlier, I was ready for it. So go one, destroy you machine. I will stay here if needed. I don’t want you to makes something stupid. Blue would not want that."

On these words, he spaned and punched his brother’s  double.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw! I'm sorry Red! I love you!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've wrote this chapter with a high fever, I reread it but i'm still sick... So if something seem odd, if you see mistake, please don't hesitate to tell me in the comment, I'll be glad if you do so.  
> And remember English is not my native language. Corrections for this helps a lot too.  
> Thanks for reading! Enjoy the chapter ^^

Papyrus would have never thought that Stretch would dared raise his hand against Sans. His brother made all the efforts possible to help his counterpart in this these painful moments. And how he thanked him? By giving him a black eye.

Sans had told him to not worry about it. But it was not knowing Papyrus very well. He did not really want to go to Swap and less be confronted with his double but he had gone too far. He had to speak with him.

He waited to be certain that Sans fell asleep then went out of the house to go to the basement. The Machine was permanently lit there since its repair. Papyrus did not like that, it was a risk that one of his fellow countrymen, less clement than his brother or him, enter Swap to cause absolute carnage. He already had to silence certain monsters who wanted to enter "this world of weaklings" to gain free EXP. But Sans had assured him that nobody could enter the basement without the key.

He verified three times he closed well and truly the door with the key before diving into the portal. Here, the basement was wide open. Blue trusted too much that all those who could pass would be friendly.

He missed that small ball of energy a lot. Only thinking about his kindness and his naivety squeezed his non existing heart. Papyrus had really considered Blue as one of his best friends. And the idea to never see him again ate him from the inside. But, unlike Stretch, he had said goodbye. He had accepted. Nothing and no one could do something about it now.

His double being under house arrest, it was not surprised seeing a member of Guard, a rabbit bigger than Greater Dog but wide as a post, keeping the entrance.

"Good evening my friend!" Says the friendly rodent "I suspected that one or the other would come back after what happen. How is your bro? Not harm done I hope, you have to forgive Pap, what happened is really hard..."

Papyrus growled, annoyed. He did not like this familiarity.

"He is fine. Well, you let me in or must I kick your ass for this?"

"Wow calm down. I’ll let you in, he’s allowed visits but be nice to him okay?"

He ruled out and opened the door. He had not even locked. They really were amateurs in this world! Stretch could get out and he could bet this guard wouldn’t even stop him. He did not comment and entered.

The house was dark and cold.

It was a shock for him who had known it so bright and warm. He remembered the first time he had entered it. Blue had welcomed him with opened arms even if he had attacked him less than ten minutes prior. The fireplace was lit, then. Now, it stayed empty. He remembered clearly the smell of spice floating in the house. Now, only a light mixture of cigarette and dust smell filled the air.

The TV was put out, Blue left it mostly lit to never miss the emissions of Nabstabot. And this silence, heavy. It was as if the house had died with Sans’s counterpart.

A single thing showed that someone still lived here. Some cigarette ends, empty bottles of honey and some cake packaging laid on the ground near the sofa.

Blue would have never accepted so much dirt. Sans had warned him that Stretch was just letting himself go but Papyrus had not imagined that could become even dirtier than his brother in his worst days.

"Hey Ashtrash I have two words to tell you!"

He waited then saw his double getting out from Blue’s room. He looked like a monster rag.

" I thought you avoided me, Edge. " Answered his double in an annoyed tone.

" I have to speak to you. "

" I will not apologize. "

The fairly surnamed Edge growled out. Stretch didn’t seem to want to go down the staircases to speak face to face.

" I did not came for that. Comes down now "

Papyrus looked his double straight in the eyes, it did not took long before he capitulated and accepted to come down.

" Here is it's done. What you want from me now? Don’t you think you and your brother haven’t done enough already? "

" Exactly, no. " He answered slowly.

He let his shoulders fall, his threatening air giving way to his fatigue. Sans rarely saw only this part of him, the real him. He wore so often the mask of the Terrifying and Powerful Captain of the Royal Guard of Fell as he almost never dare to show the real him. But there, he needed to show his sincerity. And he needed Strech to understand.

His copy seemed suspicious.

" What? You want to drag me down too? You want to do to me what I’ve done to Red? Go ahead! You don’t know anything except fighting right? Then … "

" Shut your fucking mouth Stretch! You … You are not well, you need someone to takes care of you. "

" And that's it, advice again. I don’t need advice from you like I didn’t want advice from Red! "

" It is what you think but, believe me, you need us and all those close to you. You have to listen to them and speak to them about what you feel. You cannot remain closed like that. "

Stretch took a cigarette and lit it him in front of him. Blue would never have accepted that his brother smokes in the house.

" I am put under house arrest I really have no choice. "

" No, I meant close minded… The more you keep your thoughts for you and the more you will be unstable. I not worried about me or Red. Believe me, your punch hurted him less than what I can give him when we have to pretend to hate each other. You had no intention to hurt him. I’m worried for you. You were always a lazybone before but from what I way, the way you live is far beyond laziness. "

He paused to analyze Stretch’s face. He seemed lost in his thought. Hesitating. But the anger was always present in his posture, in his gestures. The way he sip at his cigarette was very revealing of his mood.

" You have to get it out. You have to speak about what you feel, to share your thoughts, you don’t have to bear all of this alone. If you keep on pushing away every help you’re going to explode at someone. And you will lose your friends too. "

Stretch sighed. One trembling sighs, as if he suppressed a sob. He went far, doubtless too far in his discour but he needed the Skeleton to react. To give all he hid inside. So his anger wouldn’t fall on Sans anymore. The only thing mission for the incident to transform in a tragedy was the intent. With the intent to hurt, he could have lost Sans like Stretch had lost Blue. And in pain, a friend could become an enemy within one second. And the intents change.

" Stretch… Let us help you. We know what what you’re going th … "

He was immediately interrupted by Stretch material. His tone was harsh but Papyrus discerned clearly the despair behind every word.

" Is that so? You know what that is to lose a brother? You really know what it is to not know if you’ll see the only person who matters in your life again? Right EDGE? You who know so much, go one and tell me that you know what I’m going through! Red must be sleep right now, no? What a horror to lose your brother to sleep! "

" Go one, continue… You’re not the first one nor the last one to live that Stretch!"

The smoker turned his head, apparently hurt to have been interrupted. What a brat…   
" Do I have to remind to you where we come from Sans and I? I saw hundreds of people in your case. A brother, a relative, a friend, a child … Everybody in my world lost at least a close friend, sometimes even in front of their own eyes. They all passed by the same stages. Even Sans… "   
This time, he read incredulity read in his double’s eyes.   
" Sits. "   
The tone was firm, but not authoritarian. Stretch obeys.   
" I was really young when my parents disappeared. I don’t reminder any of them, but you know the age difference between Sans and I. I don’t remember reacting to this. I can’t even recall I had any family except Sans, it’s complicated. But I saw my bro changing overnight. At first, he searched everywhere to find someone. Our father I think… Everything was very fuzzy for me. But he had to slow down then stop his searches to take care of me. Until the day when … "   
He took a deep breath. Just thinking about it again gave him shivers in all his bones. Automatically, one of the hands settled on the scar streaking his left eye.

" Sans grown tired of me. He said that I slowed him down. That it was all my fault, that if I had never been born, our parents would still be alive. He had so much repressed his anger that it exploded on me. I was what four? Five years old… No more. Facing an angry monster, ten years my elder. He burst out, I couldn’t calm him. I did not understood his acts, or why he held so much hatred in him. He never explained anything to me at that time. He lost my trust this day.  He… beat me up until I fainted. When I woke up, everything hurts and my vision was shady. It is only later that I saw the scar he left me. He tried to apologized but it was too late. It was the first time I saw him cry. I hated him for years after that. From this day, I stayed with him only because he how how to have food. But when I learned how to be autonomous I tried to run away from him. To leave him on his own. I wanted nothing to do with the one who beaten me. Sans gained his first LV that day. An older monster had chased after me. Even if I hated him, he saved my life. He explained the meaning of the law this day. Kill or be Killed. That to be alone meant the death for the small monster I was. So I stayed with him. We had to stick together to survive. Not as if I had the choice, he did not left me any more, even at night. But there was no love anymore, no trust either. Our relation was not of the most brotherly for years. It took me a lot of time to care about him again. Due to seeing other people crying their lost ones. See the anger they had, not wanting to face their own distress. Sometimes by my fault… I have never forgiven the gesture but I understood where from he came. I understood my error to refuse him my affection for all this years too. "

Stretch ha lowered his head at some time of the story, he looked at his sneakers now. Ashes from his cigarette had fallen on the couch.

" All this to explain you not to keep all this for you. You have friends out there who want to listen and support you. Sans and I aren't very far if you need us. But you also have to bring out all this sadness. You must not deny any more... "

" Please don’t … "

" Your brother is dead. "

Papyrus remained silent after this assertion. Still very calm. He saw of Stretch’s shoulders trembling. Then he finally heard the sobs. Tears are began to fall slowly on the carpet under the couch. He could not see the face of his counterpart but he imagined it well.

But he did not move. He never knew what to do when someone cried. Sometimes they needed someone near them, a cuddle of comfort, sometimes they needed solitude to totally let go and others just had to have a presence.

He felt tears flow down his own face. But he remained straight and deserving. Even if he had already accepted it did not mean that he didn’t had any more tears for Blue. He still felt terribly guilty of what might have happened.

" I am sorry Stretch. Sincerely. That's life. Shit happens... Like it or not, we can’t change the past. "

Stretch raised immediately his head to stare at him. Eaten away by the sorrow, his eyes contained however a slight hope.

" What if we could? "

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Redkammy made a fanart for this chapter! Check it out!  
> They're an incredible artist! 
> 
> https://redkammy.tumblr.com/post/162259593657/so-i-stayed-with-him-we-had-to-stick-together-to
> 
> They're the one who inspired this fanfiction!


	5. Chapter 5

He was going to be crazy. If that continued, he was going to lose his sanity.

He should never have followed this idea. What an idiot he had been!

If he had thought two seconds, he would not be in this situation. He regretted so much. 

As soon as his house arrest was lifted, he had fetched the only monster who could help him. He hated him, more than anything.

Temmie, the sort of psychopathic plush, could Reset, he could return the world in a date prior to Sans’s disappearance. 

But, naturally, that trash wouldn’t listen

He had laughed, made fun of Papyrus’s misfortune. He had assured not to be at the origin of this fate, for once, having already tried in the past, this game did not amuse him any more. But Sans’s disappearance not being his deeds, the creature was curious and had declared to be happy to see something new happen in the temporal line.

Papyrus had held on not killing him on the spot, that trash would have charged to return to the life anyway. He needed Temmie to do it, so that Sans returns. He had begged Temmie to Reset, he was even ready to promise to Temmie to not kill him anymore. He was ready for anything just to bring back his big bro.

But well on, the soulless monster refused. This story was too interesting to end.

Papyrus finished by killing Temmie out of rage..

And had woken up one week earlier. He was again under house arrest. And Red came to see him. Temmie had not loaded far enough in the past.

He did not punched his friend this time. Edge did not come to visit him. He just apologized. Red knew the existence of Reset after all. But, coming from another world, the time for him continued. 

Once free, he attempted his luck once again but, with an amused smile, the living plush promises him hell on earth.

17 times.

He lived the same week 17 times in a row. And every identical day, every call and discussion with Alphys, every small detail made him lose his mind.    
It was as if he had been abandoned by everybody. Nobody realized anything, he was isolated … Only Red visited him. And, every time, found him in a state even more pathetic than the last.   
After a while, he did not even any more make the effort to get out of his house once the assignment over. What's the use, after all.   
Nothing waited for him outside. Sans was not there anymore.   
Sans was dead.   
Just as he had resigned himself to this harsh reality, it was as if the last part of him had broken. He knew he had a problem for a long time now. Thanks to his brother, he managed to keep his head out of the water. Thanks to Sans, he had a reason for existing, a reason not to let go of everything.   
But now he didn’t even had that.   
In the 18th load, he did not go out of the bed. What's the use. He did not eat, didn’t do anything except lit a cigarette from time to time. And still, the tobacco did not seem any more so attractive as that. He let the days pass without doing anything. The head full of thoughts that he had pushed aside for he didn’t know for how long. He had stopped counting the Resets for a long time.   
He only got out of his daydreaming when the door of his room was slowly opened. And who came in was a small skeleton with red eyes, looking worried. He did not greet him, he even looked away.   
" Hey Stretch... "

He spoke slowly.

He felt the copy of his lost brother approaching him and helping him sit up. He did not want to make any the effort. He asked him questions. He didn’t want to answer.

Red left without Papyrus paying attention. He just felt a taste of honey in his mouth. He did not remember having food. Anyway, nothing had was important.

Every day, Red came back. Every day he spoke to him. Sometimes he listened, sometimes not. He never answered any questions. He never did anything. But when Red left, Papyrus had eaten and fell asleep.

In the 19th load, he woke up with Red near him. He told him trivial things, blamed him for his laziness and told joke on joke. Some were very bad. He laughs in one of it. But his laughter resounded in his non-existent ears  like a sob. 

Then he began crying, for good. The gates were finally opened and did not seem to be able to dry up. And Red was near him. He comforted him, praised him for finally letting out his tears. He hadn’t share a tear since 19 load. For almost five months. 

And he would never have imagine that it would make him so much good.

And he finally spoke, for a long time. About his brother, mainly. He spoke until he fell asleep, exhausted. In its awakening, Red was always here to take care of him. He listened to him. The rare silences were filled by stupid puns. That changed nothing his life, that will not stop the Loads but Papyrus wasn’t alone anymore and he was glad for it. It felt good to speak to someone.

Red was really patient with him. He did not press him, did not ask questions unless if he did not understood what he said because of the sobs and gave him package on package of tissues.

The day before the date when Temmie loaded invariably, Red had to leave. None of the two skeleton wanted to discover the effect of Reset for someone from another universe. They two made hypotheses on the effect that would have and none of their calculations was reassuring.

They hugged Papyrus still shed tears but as long as he was not alone, he would be good.

This night , he fell asleep without help, alone once again.

And he woke up to a familiar voice.

" Wake up you lazybones! "

He immediately opened his eyes and was ready to tell Red to let him sleep but was surprised not seeing his friend with him.

" Come one, Wake up! If you sleep again when I come I will know that your asshole plush decided to let you have another round! "

He looked everywhere around him, wondering if he had definitively gone nuts.

" But if you hears that, it is a good news. It’s a brand new day, Stretch. Literally! Hey! "

He eventually found his phone put on the ground near ithe mattress. 

" You will no longer live in the past, you know it’s not good to do that. I convinced that trash of a plush that he will not know what happen next in that story if he did not let the time go one. And he was bored to see nothing evolving except for your depression. Can you believe it? Are so pathetic that even your plush of nightmare was bored of it! That remind me of a joke… I’ll tell you later. While waiting, don’t do bullshit before I arrive. I should come late, the Boss haven’t saw me for a week after all and I forgot to tell him that I would miss the work, Oops! "

Papyrus made a small smile.

" Go, life goes on Stretch. See you later. Just don’t blame me for the alarm clock OK? I’ll bring you honey! "

He looked at the hour: 8:30 am. Far too early to his taste. Without thinking even, him suddenly laughed. 

The message resumed from the beginning. He switched off the alarm clock of his phone. Still laughing. Life continues. The time continues.

Just without Sans.

Tears mixed with his laughter. 

When he calmed down, he hid himself in the blankets thinking about pay back Red for the prank. If he wanted a prank war, he will have it. 

But before, he did not want to think of what waited for him once truly woken. He still cried when he fell asleep again. He wondered again and again what would life look like without his older brother. And the prospect frightened him.

 


	6. Chapter 6

There was a lot of people, as expected. All Snowdin was there. Undyne and Alphys were also present, of course. But, more important, the Queen was there. Sans admired the ruler a lot. Her presence was a real honor. Sans would have liked that.

Without counting the resets from Temmie, it had been one year since he disappeared. And Alphys insisted for several months for a ceremony to be held in honor of the missing skeleton. Papyrus was not ready, it would never be ready to say goodbye.

But Red had helped him, a lot. He and Edge had for a moment settled down with him to help him organize everything. 

There was no dust to be poured on Sans’s favorite possessions. But for the meaning, Papyrus had suggested to throw Sans’s favorite spices on some objects he choose. The action figure which he used to represent himself in his " battle simulations", his favorite book and one of his extra bandana.

Sans would have liked seeing all this people here for him. Everyone seem to miss him. To wonder how he had wished to be popular. He already was. He had always been.

Red and Edge had stayed near him during all the ceremony. He was grateful to them for it. Every second, the feels were so strong that he thought he was going to collapse at any time. 

The Queen pronounced the usual speech for the funerals, personalized in honor if Sans. She had inquired well. Alphys must have helped her.

Then the moment came to throw the dust, or here, the spices. Papyrus was the first one to sprinkle them on the objects. He didn't wanted to do it. He wasn’t ready but Edge and Red guided his trembling hands.

Right after, he burst into tears in front of everybody. Nobody blamed him. Everybody had shared tears that day. Alphys was the second to threw a handle, then the rabbits of the Guard, then Undyne … Edge and Red passed last. But rather than to throw spices on the chosen objects, both monsters of Fell in the same movement threw it on Papyrus.

Edge murmured he later.

"Blue had nothing more precious that you. Never forget that."

Papyrus had turned a new page of his life. Without his brother, surrounded with friends. The he did not wanted to turn this new page was obvious. Be he did it anyway. That was what Sans would have wanted. He would have wanted that he lives.

He should not stop. Even if he wanted to.

 

Red kept seeing him at least once a week after that. Always mothering Papyrus and it was irritating by now. Edge also came to see him from time to time, but rarely. He had responsibilities in his world after all. And when he came without Red, Papyrus and him just talked. And when Papyrus was feeling down, Edge let him confide and encourage him at best.

He would nevertheless have believed the opposite from both brothers. 

"You know … it is … harder and harder to see Red arriving like that, unexpectedly." Admitted one day Papyrus to his double from Fell.

"Taking care of you is his only productive activity i’ve seen him do for years. What is the problem with him?"

Papyrus searched his words. Red was not there but he knew that the Fell brothers had almost no secret for each other.

"He’s … a Sans."

He saw Edge frown.

"I believed that you had made your mourning. Listening it is difficult but …"

"Yes I accepted, I have make my mourning I accepted what happened. It is hard but … Arh! It is complicated. I …"

"It will not get better if you don’t speak about it."

Papyrus took a deep breath before asking slowly.

"I dreamed about him last night and ..."

"I don’t want to know!"  said suddenly Edge, seeming disgusted.

Papyrus took a minute before doing too a grimace of disgust.

"Not about YOUR brother! Mine! And especially not of that!"

"Ah you reassures me! If you knew what I hears sometimes from my subordinates! Or from Chillby! I don’t know how but Sans sometimes catch the eyes of real perverts!"

"This time, I’m the one who don’t want to know …"

An uncomfortable silence settled down between both skeletons. Papyrus tried not to think of this misunderstanding. Edge eventually breaks the silence.

"Well … you spit the piece? You said that you dream about your brother?"

"Yes … It’s been a moment now but … It is more and more real."

Edge looked him straight in the eyes. He had regained all his seriousness.

"It’s okay to dream about missing persons. Undyne told me one day that it happen because of words not said or bullshit like that. She read it in magazine found in the dump" 

"But in my dreams … I don’t say anything. But he ..."

He remembered every dream clearly, which was really strange.

"At the beginning, I saw him only very fuzzy, what I heard best it was the blows." 

“The blows?” 

"Yes it is … how to explain hem … As if there was a barrier between him and me. And he bangs it, a lot. "

He crossed lasciviously a hand on his face. Only speaking about it made him live the dream again so vividly.

" But that it was the first dreams. Since … since the funerals, the dreams changed. "

" And what happens in these dreams? "

" He comes home, sorry for his delay. I clearly see him entering my room, apologizing with a hug. I have the impression to be so small in his arms when he does that then … I can’t understand anything he say. He try to speak to me, I see his jaw moving but it only makes statics. Every time.

But the worst it is when I wake up, convinced to have my brother near me … and it is yours who waits for me at the bottom of the staircase. "

Edge put a compassionate hand on his shoulder.

" I’ll speak with him about it. I’ll see what I can do.” 

"Thanks, Edge."

 

That night, Sans visited his dreams once again.

Papyrus wanted it to be more than a dream, but even by being lucid, these dreams seemed so real as he was lost inside.

As usual, he heard at first the front door before the one of his room opened slowly. He did not move, even if he wanted to welcome his older brother.

Sans approached slowly his bed, sat down on the mattress and hugged Papyrus. He felt so small. As if he was a child again,  dependent on the attention of his older brother.

"You came back!" He almost didn’t recognize his own voice. It felt too small.

"Sorry, Papy, I’m late again."

Sans’s jaws kept moving but, once more, statics replaced the words. But, this time, the last words were audible. His brother rocked him like a baby having had a nightmare when he heard.

"I will have to leave now. Papy, takes care of yourself. I love you little bro."

He gave him a skeleton kiss on the skull and, when Papyrus opened again eyes, he still had the impression to feel Sans’s teeth settling on his skull.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly inspired by my own experience. I won’t go in detail but I too dreamed about a lost one...  
> Can you believe I cried writing this chapter?
> 
> Hope you liked it, see you for next chapter!  
> Oh, and I made a picture...
> 
> http://aerishikari.deviantart.com/art/The-dream-688312956


	7. Chapter 7

Finally, sentry's life did not suit to him any more. He needed more, he needed a work which pleased him, of a work to occupy its thoughts. Sans would not have wanted to see him being even lazier than usually.  
If he had to live for two, he had to move one. And it is what he did.  
He went to see Undyne to ask her if she’d like him to work with her, like the old time, when Gerson was still Royal Scientist. He liked science since his childhood. To the great displeasure of his father. The old knight would have preferred that his two sons follow his tracks.  
But, even as a child, Papyrus did not like fighting and did not appreciate that his father entails his fragile older brother to fight. His soul still warmed itself by thinking of the time when Sans still called him Egghead. It was another time, when he was fascinated, where he( was not conscious of temporal jumps. Where his parents were still there … Where Sans and were inseparable.  
He still had ideas, ambitions that he had pushed far away, very far. More and more with every Reset.  
If this timeline had to last, hz might as well spend the most of it trying to concretize its ideas. At least, if everything had to begin again, he would have new data to assert or counter his hypotheses.  
He suspected although Temmie would Reset before being completely bored. Except, all this situation was really new for everybody. Papyrus hoped only that the plushes could go back far enough to let Sans come back … He had accepted his loss but, at the bottom of his soul he prayed for Reset allowing him to see his bro again as quickly as possible.  
But in the meantime, he would do his best.  
Undyne had accepted wholeheartedly, but had asked him to stay far from the lab, the time to prepare a little place for him. But Papyrus preferred to work at his home anyway. The important was that he have the pay which went with the job. And the resources for his researches.  
He just needed to convince Alphys to leave to him his pay while he would not have time to take care of all his stations any more. But Undyne had taken care of that for him. And the Captain had been really accommodating.  
He had moved his brother’s computer in his room and had tinkered it a little with elements found in the dump. All this on his spare time.  
Once the computer improved, he began to work seriously for the first time since... he did not know when.  
So began a new routine, Sans would have been proud. He got up by himself in the morning to go to one of its last stations, ate at Muffet, returned home to work on his theories or go out to verify some data, had dinner at Muffet, then took care of his second station in the evening before coming back home to rest..  
He had his weekend, which he spent working on his computer when he was not with the Fell brothers. The life continued, slowly but surely.  
When he had news on his researches, he sent a mail to Undyne. She was her boss after all. But she could not understand the extent of his researches and their application. After all, he was the last one of his universe, to his knowledge, to know about the multiple timelines.  
The more he( worked and the less he saw the time go by. But also he realized all that he had missed. A birth here, engagement there and number of not celebrated birthdays.   
And he realized that he was not alone … Two other monsters had disappeared too without leaving track between Waterfall and Hotland. Their disappearance had been discovered late, they were monsters without family, rather solitary persons. Their disappearance had been noticed only when their employers began to wonder why they did not come to work anymore.  
They had all disappeared off camera at various time. And nobody had spoken about it to Papyrus. And that infuriated him. To know this information would have been able to help him to know what had happened to Sans. But thinking back, he also understood why no one told about it earlier. He was now conscious of his past state.  
Going after a clue which could lead nowhere would have pushed him even farther in its frenzy. He was only a sentry. His only job was to look for human… The cases of disappearance were royal guard’s business.  
So he let it pass. He just asked Alphys to tell him if she discovered anything, in the exchange of the promise that he would not run after any little information like a crazy.  
He hated making promises. But he accepted.  
He resumed his work just like that. Shared between the desire to have news about the disappearances and the consciousness that any new clue would be a new tragedy too.

After two weeks without hearing about Edge and Red, he began to worry.  
He had a doubt one moment on their friendship. Was he too pathetic? Were they fed up with him?  
Or they thought that he had overcome his mourning and did not feel any more useful. Papyrus found it hard to fell asleep for several nights with these questions. He had to know why they didn’t come anymore and took one day to go to visit them in their world.  
He crossed the portal then teleported directly in the lounge, knowing perfectly well that the basement’s door was closed. At least, he avoided the air in charge of dust from the outside.  
" Red? Edge? Is someone there? " He asked.  
He heard something fall on the ground from upstair followed by a swearword. Papyrus waited by looking at the rail between the two rooms. Red bursted out of the Edge’s room.  
" Who is the asshole who … Oh it is you! "  
He seemed really irritated at the beginning but his face became softer by seeing his visitor. Red looked more tired than usual, the rings under his eyes were even more accentuated and face more tightened.  
" Yes, sorry to come unannounced. I did not see you for a long time and I said to myself that it was the Bone-casion to say Bone-jour! "   
He laughed at his own pun but was surprised seeing that Red didn’t reacted that much. His eternal grin only twitched up during one second but nothing more.  
" Very funny … Very … Come up, don’t stay down below like a moron. "  
" I thought that you’d come down but if you insist. "  
Papyrus climbed staircases normally. He was lazy but not to the point to use the teleportation when it was not needed.  
"You don’t look well Red, is everything okay?"  
"Nah … You … You don’t come at the best time but, the Boss would not want me to throw you out like that." Papyrus did not like these words, speak about Edge to the conditional was uneasy to hear.  
"Where he is?"  
"In his room …" Red entered in said room and Papyrus followed him silently. Edge’s looked like Sans’s one but in tints black and red. The bed here was not in the shape of a rocket but in the shape of plane. A very childish design, tagged this and there to have an edgier and more dangerous appearance.  
But Papyrus did well not care about the bed in itself, the important was the skeleton who stay in it. His own face in sharper, seemed to sleep peacefully. But an important quantity of bandage recovered his body. One enclosed his skull partially, his arms was in the same state and Papyrus could see exceeding from the cover that some covered his double’s ribs.  
He stayed a moment forbidden in front of the show offering itself for him while Red went to sit down on the bed, very close to his brother. A very big book was on the ground, pages were damaged by the fall. It was doubtless the source of the noise heard sooner.  
Red took a moment better Edge cover with the cover. His face was attentive to the slightest sign of discomfort and his eyes reflect the concern which he felt.  
"What happened to him?"  
"Alphys …"  
Papyrus looked at his friend, perplexed.  
" Alphys? "  
" Yep … But not only that. Well, we had a reset of several months. Now we are synchronized again with your universe by a few days I believe… Everything went normally until Undyne asks a favor to my bro. You see, she tries none stop to impress the other crazy… Alphys. Here she’s the Royal Scientist and, believe me, you do not want to approach her.  
Apparently she had lost one of her dangerous experiments. She spoke about it to Undyne by saying that she would take care of everything but here is that, Undyne asked Pap to look for this thing. To show to Alphys that she has relations in the guard, you see the thing. "  
" It is this thing which put him like that? "  
" I don’t know … I doubt it. Somebody tried to smash his skull from behind. And when you know my brother, you know that he’s always on his guard. To attack him from behind he must be distracted by something. "  
Red took the hand of his brother and squeezed it slowly.  
" He went out there only because Undyne was near. The Boss really know how to choose his friends … It is to kill or to be to kill and nevertheless, she saved him. "  
Papyrus put a compassionate hand on his friend’s shoulder.  
" And there is no way to know what really happened? I mean… Undyne was there, she has of to see something, no? "  
" Nah, according to her he was attacked by one of the creatures that Alphys does not keep in cage. A kind of demonic dog according to her. Or several dogs, she is not quite sure but at the same time I believe that she too is a bit crazy on the edges.  
And impossible of have access to the camera videos of the other silly bitch. I think that it’s her who put Pap in this state. "  
" Why would she do that? "  
" Several reasons. At first, she does not like that the Royal Guard get involved in his affairs. Her experiments are a secret for nobody but, like everybody, she has to have some dirty secrets. It’s not for nothing if we say in the place: rather die that to finish at Alphy’s.   
She would also have want to keep him for an experiment. I know from a good source that she always wanted to test things on skeletons. Unfortunately for her, Asgore refused her to use Pap or me because we are too important. Besides we are the last ones. With the Boss in her lab, it was the ideal opportunity for her.  
And finally her jealousy . I know that she is madly in love with Undyne and that she does not see their friendship from a good eye. She sees Pap as a rival to eliminate, what I can understand. Friendship it is really rare in this shity world. "  
Papyrus hesitated one moment before asking slowly.  
" Can I… Can I do something? Anything?"  
" Yeah … Maybe … I dunno you … You can stay a little if you want. Pap would be pleased to see you when he will wake up.”  
" Don’t you want me to use my healing magic? Maybe I… "  
" Nah, I am in loaded there. But can you watch him for a moment? I did not sleep since … "  
" Since when he’s in this state? "  
Red massed(massaged) the space between his(her) orbits of the free hand. It seemed ready to crack(fail,tear). Papyrus did not really like seeing his friend in this state.  
" Three days. I am scared to leave him alone, Stretch! I am afraid that he falls to dust if I look away just one minute! We manage to get along not so long ago, I lost to much years with him because of my bullshit, I can not lose him now! "  
Papyrus slowly shook his friend.  
" Hey! Calm down... Calm down Red, you won’t lose him. And you need to sleep. Go to sleep, I stay with Edge. I will not leave my eyes from him and I”ll call you if anything happen okay? "   
" O-okay … I … I’ll fetch my pillow and my blanket I-I return. "  
" Not, stay, I’ll go get them. Stay with your bro two minutes, I come back. "  
Papyrus slowly went out of the room but glanced at Red while passing the door. The latter had eyes only for the wounded skeleton, he was really in a bad state emotionally speaking. What it what he looked like when Sans disappeared? Papyrus was not really conscious of what it had od or tell during this period of his life.  
He went in Red’s room to get back pillows and cover for his friend. Once in the room, he began to shake and tears run down his face. To see Edge in this state was really upsetting, more than he would have believed it. He felt bad to not have been for his friends from the beginning. Yes, he did not know but still.  
He dared to imagine that the Fell bros abandoned hiùm while … It was all the opposite. It was him who had not been there. He felt like shit. He wanted to redeem himself.  
He taken one moment to inhale slowly and dry his tears. He had to show himself strong for Red. Then he came back to the other room  
Red already slept when he arrived, holding his brother’s hand like his life depended on it, half curled up in a ball on the side of the big bed.  
Papyrus put the blanket on him and sat down in the near desk chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know it there will be an update next week because of work... And then i'll be far away from my computer so no update between the 8 and the 13th of July ether.  
> Sorry...


	8. Chapter 8

 

He woke up startled, frightened at the idea of finding no Papyrus by his side. He was still holding his younger brother’s hand.

Good.

At least, he had not fallen into dust at night. He panicked one second, not seeing Stretch on the chair which had been approached near the bed. Looking for him fervently, he finally found him in his dead angle. Perched on the drawers, he was smoking through the open window.

Good.

He had made his old nightmare, or rather this memory of his childhood. But his brother was not the only one locked into a cage this time. Stretch and Blue were there too, or at least a childish version of them.

And instead of seeing his father disappearing, it was his brother and his friends who were pushed from the rail. He had ended up alone.

But, fortunately, it was just a dream. 

Sans relaxed and briefly released Papyrus’s hand the time to raise.

" Hey Stretch! "

The Papyrus of the alternate universe turned around. The rings under his eyes were pulled. Had he really stayed up all night long? The hand holding the cigarette rested on the windowsill, between two bars.

" Hello Red. You know, windows with bars are not great to smoke. "

" Yap but that do you want, at least that prevents danger to enter "

" Doubtless … Are you hungry? I prepared … "

" What?! Please, tell me you didn’t broke anything! If Boss finds his kitchen in the same state as the last time he is going to kill you and me too! "

" Calm down. I have cooked nothing. I just left the time to you to take out cereal and bowls. "

Sans breathed again, the last time Stretch cooked was such a disaster that the skeleton was not allowed in the kitchen ever again.

" In this case … Thank you. "

A bowl of cereals was put on the desk, near the computer. Good thing Papyrus was still asleep, to see food near his precious PC would have make him furious.

Sans got back the bowl and began to eat. Cereal were filed with milk and must have stayed in the bowl for at least one hour. They were soft and spongy … But he ate them all the same silently. At least it was edible. 

" His HP raised well. You believe that he is going to wake up soon? " Asked Stretch, while throwing his cigarette end through the window.

" I hope, otherwise I would be obliged to make his work in his place. And the Guards are going to ask themselves questions again… Boss will have to put them back in their place once fully healed. Unless... "

He looked at the double of his brother, thinking. His idea was brilliant and, if his brother woke up meanwhile, the result would doubtless cheer him up. And he could continue to stay up him. But at the same time that could be dangerous... 

" Stretch, D’you think that you could pass as the Boss the time to get back some papers? "

Other skeleton looked at him one moment with round eyes. He could read it a mixture of fear and incredulity in his look.

" You want that I WHAT?! "

" Come one! All that you have to do it is to dress up as the Boss and to make a grumpy face! It's perfect and my brother will be less stressed when he’ll wake up! "

" But have you saw my face? I am not edgy enough to pass for him! And my stats are pitiful with compared with his! "

" Stop, we know very well you and I that Statistics can be hidden. And if something go wrong, you can make anyone here regret attacking you with your Juge capacities. And for your lack of edge, we can hide that beneath Boss’s scarf! Please do that for me! I’ll owe you one! "

A heavy silence settled down between both skeletons. Stretch’s face had taken a beautiful orange color.

" You will not even have to go outside too long. Just needs that goes to you to get back the reports of Doggo and Doggi. " Sans added.

" All right... "

" Thank you! You will not regret it! "

 

 

He felt perfectly ridiculous. Certainly, the armor fitted like a glove to him. It had been created apparently specially for a Papyrus and did not hamper his movements but he felt nevertheless very exposed dressed like that. 

How could we call that an armor if that did not protect his entire vertebral column?!

And then the pants seemed to him very too tight, limit lewed. And still, Red had taken out a whole collection of pants more or less tight to the bones and more or less provocative. He had opted for Edge’s favorite pants, that he had in four copy.

Red had then suggested him to choose in a chest filled of accessories more edgy some than the others. Quite at the bottom, he even found dog collar like to the one Red wore all the time.

" He don’t wear them any more, it’s not fashionable according to him. Me, I always find it nice. But, well, I know it nothing about fashion. The Boss is really cool isn’t he? "

Papyrus gave up accessories and put on just a red belt with an ornamental skull of dragon tie.

He took the gloves and boots of his double and had to admit on the other hand that they were really comfortable. Especially the boots.

" When Pap finds his job too hard, he remember that he had these boots thanks to his post. And that always cheers him up. " Had commented Red.

Papyrus wondered moreover if his Alphys had boots so comfortable too before remembering  that the Captain of the Royal Guard from his homeworld never wore shoes.

Once dressed in the attires of its double, Papyrus was inspected by Red with a very critical eye. The small skeleton did not stop commenting and adjusting his posture and the way it wears this or that thing.

" And now, the final touch! "

He saw Red to take out a marker of a drawer.

" Squat, you make twice my size … "

Papyrus hesitated one moment. He liked less and less this plan.

" Are you sure it will go after a wash? "

" Sure. During a time I made false scars on my face to look cool. "

" And why did you stopped? "

" Because Pap told me to … "

All of a sudden, he felt the embarrassment of his friend. While he was "make up" by him, Papyrus thought again about what Edge had told him.

" How d’you, you know, how did you reconcile both of you? "

Red seemed to reflect a moment, concentrated on his work. Papyrus wondered if it was really going to look like Edge with a scar drawn in the marker.

" I will tell you when you will return if you are willing … But if you want a summary … You have only to look my LOVE. "

He attached Edge’s red scarf around his neck and made a sign for him to get up. Papyrus went and looked in the mirror and did not believe his eyes. He really looked like Edge like that. A real clone. Well, the scar was really false and his eyes were too soft but in the face of degenerate dogs, he hoped that that would pass.

" Now you just have to look at everybody as if you want to choke them. Think of a thing which makes you. Imagine that it is Jerry who faces you and that should pass. And if someone ask you something, just growl out. When the Boss is irritated and refuses to speak he makes that to spread the word to the dogs. And you don’t have to go farl. The Doggi has to be on the return from their station, you just have to follow the path towards the Ruins, just watches out for the traps. And Doggo, he has to be lying about somewhere on the outskirts of the town. "

" All right. Thus I go there, I speak to nobody, I take the papers and I return. "

" Yep. Thank you pal, you have no idea to what extent that takes a thorn out of the side of me. "

Papyrus adjusted the red scarf to cover his mouth and made the effort to force himself to look angry. Then he went out to achieve his mission as friend. He just hoped that nothing happened to Red and Edge in his absence.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is short.  
> I haven't had time for myself lately between work and stuff but I'm determined to continue this story and the others.  
> See you soon for chapter 9!


	9. Chapter 9

The mission was easy indeed even if several times he believed he was recognized by the passers-by who threw him of hateful looks. More hateful than when he had looked for his brother in this world more than one year ago.

Edge was really hated by all. Papyrus had never really paid attention to it until now. He felt bad a little not to have noticed that earlier. He decided to be more interested in the life of his friends.

To be Captain of the Royal Guard was really a thankless job in this world.

Doggo tried to throw a conversation with him but, reminding Red’s advice, Papyrus grumbled and the dog did not insist. The Doggi, them gave him their report without even looking at him. He had then left looking for a place to hide to teleport.

His only concern were the dangerous trap put this and there by his double. All were really dangerous and certain very vicious. But he eventually takes refuge in a corner of the forest before launching his magic to find himself back in the Fell brothers’s living room.

He did not wait one second to remove the scarf of his neck .

" Red! I have your papers! " He says climbing the staircases.

It opened the door of his alter ego’s room and was pleasantly surprised seeing both brothers awake and in full discussion.

Edge turned to him a tired face but smiling.

" Nyehe! Sans did not lie. You look one true terror like that. Well, I would not have put this belt, the dragon skulls are not fashionable anymore since months but other than that … You finally looks like something bag with ash. "

" Edge! You remained three days knocked out and the only thing you manages to say is criticism my sense of esthetics? " Answered Papyrus, happy to see its double in better shape.

" What do you want, somebody as perfect as I cannot refrain from giving advice. " added Edge on the tone of the joke.

Papyrus put the scarf on the bed.

“I’m not  _ shirt  _ you should excite yourself like that. You took a very bad hit on the head. But don’t think you can es- _ cape  _ my questions because of your state! Nyeh!”

" I believe that I am going go back to sleep " answered Edge in wrongly annoyed tone while Red did his best not to explode of laughter.

“Come one, it’s  _ knot  _ like we didn’t know you do like those puns!”

Red could not it anymore and burst finally of a sound laughter. He added: 

"Mweehehehe! Laughing is good for your…  _ mode _ !" 

Edge finally gave one to smile tired but sincere.

“You’re both impossible! Here, I smile! Happy? You won, I…  _ take my hat off  _ to you! Nyeheheheh!”

" Hey! I knew that you had a little humor in you, it’s good sign. Now, how d’you end up like this? Red was not sure either. " Asked Papyrus, sitting at the edge of the bed.

He had only one desire: to change in his normal clothes but that could wait at least to have Edge’s version on what happened to him.

" I was looking for this fucking experience of Alphys and … I don’t know why but I was distracted and then nothing. Sorry if I am vague but I still have a fucking huge headache! "

Red who had recovered from the giggle commented then.

" It’s not like you to be distracted, Boss. "

" And still, I was. But I can’t remember why, it’ll come back I hope… "

There was a moment of silence where he seemed into deep thinking, massaging his skull far from his wound before sighing.

" That will doubtless return to me later. "

" Well said. " Added Papyrus. " In the meantime, Red had promised me a story for my service. Your dog are really scary, Edge. "

" Yes but I am going to have to give them a lesson not to have seen that you were not me. My subordinates should not be allowed to be fooled so easily! Don’t worry, nothing nasty, just an intensive training … Which story he has to tell you because if it is about this time when I kissed Shyren I warn you at once! I had made a bet, I lost it that's all! "

Papyrus was round eyes. He imagined one moment Edge to kissing a Shyren looking more like a piranha than the diva he knew then shook his head, disgusted.

" No I I asked him how you reconciled. It's true, to see you both today I still have difficulty in seeing the link with what you told me. "

Red sighed, hesitating. Edge, opened his mouth one moment  before looking elsewhere. Papyrus did not know if it was embarrassment, or sadness, or both.

" yeah hem... " began Red. " I had hoped that you’d forget by seeing that the Boss was awake. Where... where to begin? "

The Swap skeleton felt guilty of having asked for that. He thus interrupted his friend.

" If you don’t want to speak about it now both of you, I can understand. I really want to know but that can wait that you are both ready. Forgive me for asking that. Let us take rather care of Edge! But before I am going to go to change, the Edgelord look is not really my cup of tea. "

Then he went to the door, taking his clothes neatly folded in a corner of the room with him to change in the bathroom. He just heard one " Thank you pal " from Red before closing the door.

He took time to change. The Edge’s pants were so tight that he was afraid of tearing it if he removed it too fast. Once dressed in a more comfortable way, he tried to remove the scar made of maker. He tried to rub it with some soap and a glove with all his strengths, there was always still a light track which spread out more and more. Muttering, he returned to see his friend Red was not in the room anymore when he entered.

" He went to cook me something. " Explained Edge.

Papyrus put his counterpart's cloth on the bed, catching a furious look from their owner.

" You could have at least fold them. But it would have been a miracle view how you maintain your house. "

" What can I say? I help with pleasure but I remain a lazybone. And what is the point to fold clothes which will be worn later? "

" To avoid wrinkles! I do not want to ruin them by iron them too often! "

" Sorry, friend. Be  _ shirt _ , I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. "

“Streeeeetch!”

Papyrus laughs wholeheartedly in the false anger of his friend. He adored this kind of reaction. It reminded to him of Sans. He regretted having sometimes pushed him too far with his jokes. He wondered what he would have done if he had learnt for Edge. he would doubtless be there, to help Red to cook, to prepare a good healthy meal and to spoil their friend of all the possible manners.

Edge had to see that he was absent-minded and returned him to the reality by throwing him a pillow. he was lucky to be hurt otherwise Papyrus would have sent it back to him to begin a pillow fight. Sans would have liked that.

The rest of the day passed peacefully. He ate with the Fell brothers, helped Red clean Edge’s wounds and even helped move the TV to the room of the wounded. But his edgy double wondered all day long what had distracted him at Alphys and blamed himself for not remembering.

Papyrus says to himself that that had not to be that important. At least not for him. At night, he wanted to go back home. Edge being in a better shape, Red decided to take back the skeleton to his world. Thus they teleported in the basement after having wished a good night to the injured. The latter was so tired that seemed ready to sleep.

They crossed the portal created by the machine and arrived in Swap. And much to their surprise, the basement door was half-opened. Pap immediately saw Red to tighten and show signs of anxiety.

"Shit, Stretch d’ya ever closes your door? I just hope that nothing crossed the portal …"

"Meh … Nothing was seen in your basement. And I know that you lock it’s door in triple tours so even if somebody entered, they would have back up pretty fast, seeing that it’s a dead end." Reassured the big skeleton. 

He did not worry. His world was maybe not all sunshine and rainbows, a small constant crime justified by itself the presence of the guards, but he never worried for the machine.

Red began all the same searching fervently all the corners of the lab. Papyrus took advantage of it to take out to lit a cigaret. The alternative version of his brother returned fast by his side, apparently angry and worried.

"I found webs! You should pay more attention!"

"Hey! I sometimes accommodate members of Muffet’s family at my home. Thus they prefer dark places so I let them sleep here, it is normal. Calm down."

Red did not seem convinced but Pap just shrugged. Then Papyrus raised eyes on his house and frowned.

" That, on the other hand, it’s not normal … "

The lights of the first floor were lit.

" What I’ve told you ashtrash? Hurry we’re going to catch them before they steal your stuff. "

Papyrus contented with a movement of the head and then throw his cigarette in the snow. Both skeletons moved forward stealthily up to the front of the house. The front door was half-opened. Red had activated his magic. His right eye was empty while left shone with an aggressive red magic.

They came in. The living room was still sprinkled with empty bottle and jars of honey and wrapping papers from Muffet’s. Papyrus just noticed a thing. The pillows of the sofa were back in place. He tended to move them to feel more at ease when watching TV. The kitchen was lit. Red made a sign to Papyrus to go to verify the floor while himself went towards the kitchen. 

Swallowing nervously in a throat he did not have, the owner of the place slowly went upstair. If there was a burglar, he only hoped that he had not touched his computer and his researches. Arrived on the first floor, he saw light only come out of his brother’s room and he felt his soul tighten in his chest. 

Nobody except him had the right to enter there. How did an intruder dared to penetrate into Sans’s room?! He saw red. Hi magic bustled, making its right eye shine of an orange light. Ready to jump up, he pushed the door all of a sudden, making a blue bone in the hand a, ready to attack the intruder …

Then he stopped. Because the intruder wore a blue bandana around his neck. Because the intruder had his back turned …

Because when he turned around, the intruder gave him a smile and tells him in a tired voice.

" PAPY! SORRY I’M LATE. "

 


	10. Chapter 10

It was not true. It was only a hallucination, a dream. He was afraid, he was paralyzed. If he moved forward to embrace him, he was going to disappear again. He would have known if there had been a Reset, he would have known from the moment when he had put the foot in his world. Everything that happened, he would have felt it as a memory… **  
**

All his bones were shaking, tears began to flow from eyes. The intruder in front of him … It had to be a double, a copy, a doppelganger, a mimic … that could not be real.

He had repeated one thousand time that his brother had died to finally accept it… And now in front of him was just there … And he was apologizing for his delay … As if one year had not passed, as if had left the day before.

His big brother that he loved so much, or at least somebody who looked like him was in front of him. That, yes, he looked like him. It was at least a Sans. There was no doubt. And moreover, he spoke like him, with always so many capital letters. He even smiled like him, closing his eyes and all.

And he had his bandana. It had seen better days. It was patched, torn and dirty. Sans would never have let it finish in this state. But his brother would have also thought of closing the house’s door. He would have collected the jars of honey to throw them. He was so maniac usually.

But he seemed so tired. He had disappeared for so long. If it was really Sans, where was he all this time? And where had he found these clothes?

Contrary to the pair of shorts and his improvised armor he wore the last time when he had seen him, he now wore a grey and dirty complete suit. Inside, his brother seemed even smaller than he remembered. More frail. And, not seeing him reacting, Sans stopped smiling. His eyes opened.

Papyrus looked in his grey eyes and tired with pupils forming stars. It was his brother and, at the same time, that could not be him. His brother had blue eyes. His magic always shone a bright blue shad. Not grey.

“ PAPY? LIL’ BROTHER? WHAT’S THE MATTER? IT LOOKS LIKE YOU SAW A GHOST… ”

He had to say something but what? He wanted to embrace him, to ask one thousand question but he did not even know if all this was real.

Then Sans him touched his shoulder, shaking it slowly, without forcing.

One touch, a sensation. It was all that he needed to be certain.

“ It is… It is real? You’re back? ” He eventually said, the voice shaking from the emotion.

“ OF COURSE I CAME BACK!  I WAS NOT GOING TO LEAVE MY BABY BROTHER ALO … ”

Without waiting the end of the sentence, Papyrus caught his brother in an embrace of which he never wanted to let go. He felt the skeleton against him stiffening all of a sudden, doubtless from surprise.

He cried on the shoulder of his older brother, holding him against his soul. It was as if he had held his tears for too long and let them go all at once. Very fast, he felt the dirty fabric of the suit being dipped by his tears. The skeleton in his arms could not be more real, he could feel his presence physically, it was not an hallucination, he had not came out of a cruel dream. He was well and truly there.

“ Where…*hic*  Where were you? *hic* … Where?… S… Sans you … How … ”

But his brother did not answer. He was still tense by surprise in his arms. But he heard his voice, only more hoarse and more aggressive.

“ Stretch, have you caught the jerk who … Holy shit! ”

Behind him? Red finally joined him. He must be surprised, he would be doubtless happy for him, relieve to have been wrong in the end about Sans fate. He was going to go wild with joy …

“ You nasty shit … Stretch, stay away from this thing! I can’t believe that in your rainbow and sunshine universe there is garbage capable of that … Don’t fall in its trap. ”

Instead of enjoyment, it was a hatred without limit which he revealed in the tone of his friend. What was he talking about? Sans was there, in front of him. He was real, tangible. Why was he so angry? His embrace loosened and Sans went away from him hastily, doubtless surprised and saddened by the words of their friend.

“ R … RED? ”

“ Oh but you’re well informed! So, what are you A doppelganger? Mimic? A Shadow? What kind of twisted monster can break Stretch’s house and try to pass as Blue? ”

A mimic? A doppleganger? No … These monsters were extinct before even the war. Red could not say that about Sans. It makes no sense. He would only be hurting him if he continued.

“ BUT … IT IS ME RED, I SWEAR! ”

“ To others asshole! How could you have returned now? Stretch looked for his bro absolutely everywhere! If he was alive, he would have found him a long time ago! You not going to tell me that after one and a half year suddenly you found the way back home! Change shape you piece of shit! Stretch suffered enough without you add a layer of false hope! ”

He had eyes only for his brother. He could read in his grey eyes all the pain and disappointment. Then he saw his face decompose slowly to a detached, unbelieving tone.

“ ONE YEAR AND A HALF? ”

“ One year, five months … ” His brother looked at him as if he was far, very far. He did not like that. And if this Sans was not his? And if Red was right? “ Three weeks and one days. ”

He had kept the count. The hours, he could not count them, nobody knew at what time exactly Sans had disappeared. He did not, thus, count them. But they seemed to him as heavy as  days.

“ REALLY?… IT … IT HAD SEEMED TO ME … MUCH LONGER.”

An skeletal hand caught its sweatshirt and forced him to get up. A red light suddenly enlightened the room. Red was using his magic. No! He could not, he was going to scare Sans! He was going to hurt him when he just came back, NO!

“ You a good comedian you son of a bitch but it does not work with me. Tell me what you want from Stretch! And change your appearance back before I decide to have a good time. ”

A familiar sound, a growl doubled by the distorted sound of Blaster was heard above their head. Red walked past him, shielding him with his body. A beam of scarlet magic emanated from his left, threatening eye.

“ RED YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THAT, IT’S ME, BLUEBERRY! DO YOU REMEMBER? IT IS YOUR BROTHER WHO CALLED ME THAT THE FIRST TIME WE MET. ”

“ Red ”

“ Everybody knows this story! If you want to convince me you’ll need to find something else!”

“ Stop! ”

“ I … WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU? IT IS ME. I RETURNED FOR PAPY. I AM TIRED, I … I JUST WANT TO REST A LITTLE AND TAKE BACK MY LIFE AS IT WAS BEFORE. ”

“ To others! ”

Red was going to fire. He was going to kill his brother, his best friend was going to kill his brother! He could not let him make! His right eye immediately shine with an amber color, almost honey. He got ready to summon his own Gaster Blaster and use it as shield for his brother but he did not have time there.

Red fired. The light produced by the beam was blinding but Papyrus did not manage to look the other way.

When the attack was over, he couldn’t see for a moment, desperate, persuaded to have lost his brother once again, of the hand of his best friend. Finally, his vision returned.

But instead of a dust, a draconique cracked skull was in front of him. The skull seemed surrounded with a cyan aura and, through the eyes of the attack, he saw Sans. His brother was unhurt, in a fight position. His two eyes shone with a cyan color tinged with grey.

Since when Sans was capable of such a power?


	11. Chapter 11

Sans lowered his arm, removing his only defense. The skull which surrounded him dissipated in an instant like it was never there. Red fixed the small skeleton with as much dismay as him. He was doubtless going to apologize now, right?

Or at least he hoped for it. But Red is more stubborn than that.

Papyrus saw the Fell to lower his arm and take a step back. His blaster disappeared but not the distrust in the eyes.

" Right, You’re a Sans... But you’re not Blue. Blue do not know this attacks. "

" BUT IT IS ME. PLEASE, RED, BELIEVE ME. "

" No. I am willing to believe that you are another Sans, of another Swap universe but you’re not our Blueberry. "

Red turned to Papyrus, his face betrayed the conflict inside of him.

" Traw him out, Stretch. That will hurt you more that it’ll do good to make as if this thing is your brother. "

He shook his head. Red could not be right.

" No, no, Red, I assure you that it is  Sans, my soul shouts me that it is him. "

He saw his friend sigh, brought down, then turning his back on him.

" Okay... but don’t come crying if it end nasty. "

And just like that, simply, he disappeared. He had teleported, doubtless in the basement to go back to his universe.

Pap was alone, with Sans. Sans who had returned, he came back for him. He expected his brother returns near him to embrace him and make up for lost time. But nothing. Sans stayed in his side of the room. He was pensive.

"Sans … It is you? Right? " He asked, full of hope.

" I-I DON’T KNOW … PAPY … I … I DON’T KNOW ANYMORE."

He approached Sans and embraced him once again.

" Well,I know. I know you ARE Sans, that can not be otherwise! "

Once again, the small skeleton in the arms seemed so frail, too frail but it was normal, he had disappeared for so long. But what bothered Papyrus was his lack of reaction. He was tense as a clothesline and did not even tried to return his embrace.

Chasing away his doubts, he hugged his brother against him stronger and felt his tears flowing on his cheeks again.

He did not know how long had passed but after what felt like hours, Sans moved away from him.

" PAPY, I AM VERY TIRED … CAN YOU … "

" You want to sleep with me? As when we were children? " 

He saw a wave of emotion to cross Sans’s grey eyes.

" WHEN I TOOK YOU AGAINST ME … "

" And that I kept my back against the wall because I was afraid that a human would take me away. "

He saw finally the face of his brother get clearer and a tear flow on his cheek. The nostalgia of these moment flooded their two souls.

" I TOLD YOU THAT I WAS GOING TO PROTECT YOU FROM EVERYTHING. THAT THE HUMAN WOULD HAVE ME BEFORE YOU. "

He sobbed. It was really him, they had lived the same thing.

" And we exchanged of place because I did not want that the human to takes you! Then we quarrelled to know who protected the other one. "

" AND IN THE END, WE SLEPT ON THE SIDE TO BE TAKEN TOGETHER … "

And there he heard it, lightly at first, a little bit nervous, then stronger. The laughter of his older brother. It was music for its non-existent ears. The big skeleton smiled tenderly, looking at Sans laughing. It was as if a weight has been lifted from his soul.

" PAPY… "

Sans looked at him with imploring eyes, he could see his bones trembling under his clothes too big for him.

" I-I AM J-JUST TIRED, YOU’RE NOT FOUR ANYMORE … PLEASE "

Papyrus Felt his soul tightening once again in his rib cage. Sans did not want him? He did not want to relive these innocent moments from their childhood... But why?

He had just returned, he had so much to tell him, so much to ask. He did not understand why Sans did want to stay with him. Disappointed, he answered however with a smile.

" All right, big brother. We shall make up for lost time tomorrow, okay? "

" YES. LEAVE ME REST NOW, PLEASE. "

Papyrus got up, walked to the door of the room, it felt empty all of a sudden. Why Sans did not want of him? Had he made something bad? He stopped, looked behind, he was afraid to see Sans disappearing.

" Good night, Sans. " He says, trying to keep his smile.

" GOOD NIGHT Papy. "

He would have loved a cuddle, a wave of the hand, a look. But Sans him had already turned his back to undo his blanket. Papyrus got out and closed the door behind him. He leaned on it and slide slowly to the ground. He cried. But he did not know if it was out of joy to have his brother back, of despair that he is not as he hoped or because he was afraid that Red was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the late update. My life had been crazy since september. I lost my job, someone in my close family died unexpectedly, I turned 30... I had a really bad problem of writer's block. On this story, on my comic and on my other fanfiction too.  
> But I try to come back, when I feel like it, I draw and I write again. So I made this Chapter.  
> I hope you'll like it. Thank you for the support. Whoever you are. You reading this is already a compliment on m work.


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